Worcester schools face computer equipment crunch

WORCESTER 
The school system needs to replace 7,000 computers before the summer of 2014, leaders of a panel told the School Committee tonight.

Microsoft will stop supporting Windows XP in 2014. That means the school system's computers, which carry everything from school work to medical records, will become vulnerable to hackers and viruses. The city replaced all of its non-school computers this year because of the same reason, according to the report. If the schools go the same route as the city and lease computers, the five-year lease would cost $1.074 million a year.

“The challenge to our budget is real,” Superintendent Melinda J. Boone said, adding that she is already speaking with the Worcester Educational Development Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the schools, to see what outside funding help might be available. “We cannot continue to nickel and dime our technology to the detriment of our students and staff.”

The Worcester Technology Blue Ribbon Panel, which was led by Ted Coghlin of Coghlin Electrical and Worcester schools' Information Technology Officer Bob Walton, included representatives from The Hanover Insurance Group, Unum, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Coghlin Electrical Contractors and the school district itself.

“The business community is very supportive of this, and there are a lot of business members who I think want to get in and help,” Mr. Coghlin said.

The report also urges the district to invest in many more technology integration staff to help teachers use technology in their lessons. While many districts have one or more such staff people per building, Worcester, which has 50 buildings, has one integration person for the entire district. The report urges adding at least 11 integration staff members for the next for the next four years. In the meantime, however, college interns will help.

The report also recommends new professional development and infrastructure. The grand total for the first year would be at least $2.6 million, and that much or more in the following three years. Leased computers would still cost $1.074 million in the fifth year.

“The proposal may be a bit rich for my taste and my colleague's taste,” committee member Jack L. Foley said. But, he added, “ I think it's a no-brtainer that we have to replace the computes that are there.”

The technology report noted that many of the school district's 50 building are more than 100 years old: “Electricity was a retrofit in these buildings,” it states. While they're all wired for Internet, 16 still do not have wireless networks.

In addition to the hardware and staffing recommendations, the report also urges the School Committee to change policies, such as considering a bring-your-own-technology policy and lifting the ban on cell phones. An immediate change could overwhelm networks, but Mr. Walton said it might be possible to try it at a small number of schools, like the new North High School and Worcester Technical High School. A subcommittee will review the cell phone policy.

Earlier in the night, the School Committee voted 5-2 to give new Manager of Special Education and Intervention Services Kay C. Seale a three-year contract with a $137,000 salary the first year, $14,000 the second year and $143,000 the third year. This was more than the $133,000 Marco C. Rodrigues earned before he was promoted to chief academic officer.

Committee member Dianna L. Biancheria was vehemently opposed. “We need to recognize that the taxpayers count in our city,” she said, and Donna M. Colorio joined her on the nay side.

Mayor Joseph M. Petty argued for the supporters, “She's worth every single penny,” she said, noting that special education missteps can be extremely costly. Ms. Seale, who is special education director for the Brockton public schools, is due to start in January.